BUCYRUS - The company that owns the landfill in Richland County and the Mansfield Transfer Facility has taken over management of the Crawford County Landfill, according to Crawford County Commissioner Doug Weisenauer.

Rumpke Waste and Recycling took control of the lease of the Crawford County Landfill on Friday. The facility was previously managed by Santek Waste Services.

The rates for in-county trash disposal will stay the same even though management at the Crawford County Landfill has changed, Weisenauer said, due to contracts with the county. He said those rates cannot be changed.

Deliveries from outside the county, though, will be charged at a different rate — Weisenauer said Rumpke will be free to charge companies — such as both Shasky's and Monn's from Shelby — a rate Rumpke selects, just as the company already does at the Noble Road Landfill near Shiloh that it purchased in 2009.

Weisenauer said the county owns the landfill, but contracted out its management years ago. He said Santek decided earlier this year it wanted to end its agreement to manage the facility.

"This was a deal between Santek and Rumpke," Weisenauer said. "We did not go out and solicit to Rumpke or anyone else."

The commissioner confirmed that the county has no say in how much Rumpke charges other refuse services to drop off trash.

"That’s up to the operator of the landfill," Weisenauer said. "We don’t want to get into that much of the management of the facility, which is why they’re doing it for us."

Rumpke also provides refuse for residential and commercial customers in both Richland and Crawford counties. That trash, along with waste from the Mansfield Transfer Facility, is taken to the company's Shiloh landfill.

In a press release, Andrew Rumpke, area president of the company, said the 82-acre landfill accepts 600 tons of trash daily with a permitted capacity of 1,200 tons a day. In all, the site has a permitted life expectancy of about 40 years.

"Rumpke looks forward to managing the Crawford County Landfill," he said. "The Rumpke family has been in the waste and recycling business for 86 years. Landfill management is one of the things we do best. We’re committed to implementing first-class practices to ensure environmental compliance and maximum efficiency for our disposal customers."

Rumpke said it has kept all Crawford County Landfill employees.

"The team at the Crawford County Landfill is essential," he said. "They do good work, and we are proud to welcome them to our family."